General news

Brits favour homes with strong internet connections

People aiming to purchase properties for sale across the UK are increasingly likely to look towards areas where there are strong internet connections, a new survey conducted by Halifax has discovered. While in the past, an area of a town or city may have been scrutinised for its strong community spirit, a lack of noisy neighbours and general safety, the study from Halifax ...

8th Feb 2013

British homeowners facing higher water and sewerage bills

People living in properties for sale across England and Wales are set to face potentially further misery with their bills, as water and sewerage charges are predicted to be on the rise throughout the coming year. Most people the length and breadth of the UK have suffered from the increasing cost of gas and electricity towards the end of 2012, when each of the big six hiked ...

7th Feb 2013

NewBuy scheme extended to help second-steppers

The government's flagship scheme for boosting the UK property market has been extended, as Westminster tries to bring more activity to the sector and improve the number of new houses being sold. Last year, the NewBuy scheme was hailed, as the initiative, launched in March, had seen 2,000 sign-ups in its first six months. Now though, the government has decided to widen ...

28th Jan 2013

Levels of student property investment on the increase in the UK

The amount of money being invested in the UK property market with regards to housing options for students has increased significantly throughout 2012, a new report has stated. The latest results from the CBRE commercial property consultants report said that there had been a 125 per cent increase in student accommodation investment in 2012 when compared to 2011. ...

24th Jan 2013

The big freeze shows need for shopping around for best prices

Most of the UK is currently in the grasp of the big freeze, a period which has seen many of us need to turn up the heating, both to protect the home and keep ourselves warm while in our properties for sale. When it comes to the former, making sure the house is warm can be a good way to alleviate the risk of freezing and pipes bursting, which will mean large insurance ...

23rd Jan 2013

Scottish mortgages becoming ever-more affordable

Getting a mortgage in Scotland for properties for sale is becoming more affordable than in the rest of the UK, a new study has discovered. In comparison to household income, the cost of getting a mortgage is now far lower than it was at the peak of the property sector, when banks were offering up larger loan-to-value (LTV) products. This is good news for the property market ...

22nd Jan 2013

2014 to signal a return to health in properties for sale

The market next year across the UK will see a level of strengthening that will end with the cost of purchasing properties for sale returning to levels that were last seen as far back as 2007, before it then goes on to exceed the peak prices. According to economists, the fact that there will be a decent level of growth, and with it a better outlook for the financial future ...

21st Jan 2013

Couple told to tear down house after planning ruse fails

A couple in Hertfordshire have been told to tear down their house, after they were discovered to have built the house within a massive barn to try to avoid UK property planning regulations. Developer Alan Beesley and his wife Sarah constructed the £500,000 two-story home within the hay barn to try to disguise it, and have now finally admitted defeat in their legal ...

18th Jan 2013

British buyers facing average £26,500 deposit

British first-time buyers looking for properties for sale are still facing massively high levels of deposit for their first mortgage, according to newly released data. The study conducted by housing investment and shared equity mortgage provider Castle Trust shows that a first timer in England and Wales will face an average deposit of £26,500, a rather ...

16th Jan 2013

Lending to buyers with low deposits increased in 2012

The number of first-time buyers with a low deposit who were able to get a footing on the UK property ladder in 2012 was at its highest level since the financial crisis hit, according to a new report. The study from e.surv chartered surveyors found that 2012 had seen lending to newcomers increase by a full 11 per cent as more banks and other lenders gained confidence from ...

15th Jan 2013

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